


On Love's Light Wings

by beardyswrites



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drabble, First Kiss, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Idiots in Love, M/M, Master & Servant, POV Arthur, Pining Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), References to Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 11:49:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21208046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beardyswrites/pseuds/beardyswrites
Summary: “If I ever need a servant in the next life -”“Don’t ask me!”Oh, Merlin. Arthur had known he would have chosen him a hundred times over by that point.(In which Arthur has been uncertain about many things in his life, but his feelings when it comes to Merlin are not among them.)





	On Love's Light Wings

**Author's Note:**

> HA! Can you tell from the title that I’m a huge Simon Snow fan? Anyway. The support for my first Merthur fic went through the roof, I’m absolutely stoked and I want to thank each and every person who read it. Hope you all enjoy this next one! xx

Arthur wasn’t sure of the exact moment he had fallen in love with Merlin.

It had never been the crashing wave he had always dreamed it would be. It had crept up on him during his waking moments, over the course of days, weeks ... _months_ ...

He wasn’t sure when he had started to guess, either.

It might have been the Midsummer Ball. Of all the lords he had talked to, all the ladies he had danced with, the nobility he had regaled with tales of his youth, he had always sought out Merlin. To talk to him, discuss who was who; to laugh with him in a way that might have been entirely inappropriate for a servant and master.

Arthur couldn’t have cared less.

There were other moments, too. Even just days after they had met. Merlin had drunk poison for him, and Arthur had rushed to save his life without a second of hesitation. He had called it loyalty; time had proven to him it was a far more passionate act than he had previously believed.

The list went on.

Merlin, somehow turning up exactly when Arthur needed him most. Merlin, who always knew what to say, what to do; believing in him more than anyone else.

Merlin had nurtured something in Arthur’s heart that had never existed until he had walked into his life - or, rather, barged in so rudely. He had tended it with great care, with diligently placed words, banter and laughter. Merlin had instilled in Arthur how to be the best version of himself, both on and off the throne.

_“If I ever need a servant in the next life -”_

_“Don’t ask me!”_

Oh, Merlin. Arthur had known he would have chosen him a hundred times over by that point.

He wasn’t even sure when Merlin had started to mean so much to him.

Maybe it had been the time he had hauled Merlin into a headlock, the moment he realised he would have done anything in his power to make Merlin smile ... to make him _happy_. He had felt dopey with fondness, his heart fluttering in a way he had never felt before.

_Had that been love?_

There had been the time Merlin had proclaimed his hair to be an unsightly mess right before a banquet, and had then proceeded to attack his blond locks with a comb.

It had been a moment of intimacy Arthur had never known he craved until it happened, fighting back a shudder as Merlin’s nails scraped his scalp, his usual torrent of protests and insults tumbling from his mouth weaker than intended, his throat dry.

He hadn’t been able to get the sensation out of his mind for days.

Every thought, every feeling, had gone beyond logic and reason.

_Had that been love?_

Maybe he had known when Merlin stayed outside the grand hall all night to ensure he wasn’t alone following the death of his father. Maybe he had known when Merlin’s life had nearly been snatched away by otherworldly spirits; the moment Merlin had turned up in the woods grinning and covered in muck; when they had lain together on the floor of Merlin’s home in Ealdor.

Either way, he had definitely known when Merlin had barreled into his chambers one night with gleaming eyes, prattling on about his day with childlike enthusiasm.

Arthur couldn’t even remember what he had said.

He had grabbed Merlin by the lapels and yanked him towards him. Not even his surprised yelp had ruined the moment when their lips crashed together.

And then it was fire, a roaring inferno scorching through Arthur’s veins as Merlin's hands moved up to fist in his hair, pulling him ever closer, his chest warm and firm against Arthur’s, like _he_ was the one who couldn’t get enough.

Arthur’s thoughts reeled. _By the gods, why hadn’t he done this before -_

Merlin pulled away.

Arthur was left gasping. Merlin’s eyes were shockingly wide, his lips already starting to swell; he looked _wrecked_ in a way Arthur could have only dreamed.

A ragged laugh burst from Merlin’s throat. “You _prat_,” he rasped.

His mouth collided with Arthur’s again; he pushed back, pressing harder, _harder_, pressing as close to Merlin as possible, hands gripping his waist.

His head spun; he couldn’t breathe. He was flying, falling, his heart hammering in his chest, beating a wild tattoo against his ribcage. He wanted to do this a thousand times over in a hundred different places.

It had always been a dance between them, pushing and pulling but never quite touching, never quite stepping into the unknown waters; keeping it close, keeping it safe, keeping it familiar.

Until now.

It was too much; it was Arthur who pulled back this time, his eyes tightly shut, scared for reality to come crashing down on him. “Merlin?” he whispered hoarsely.

“Hmm?” A nose nudged against his cheek, Merlin’s forehead resting against Arthur’s temple.

Arthur was so overwhelmed he couldn’t wrangle his thoughts together; every single logical thought had fled his mind the moment their lips had touched. He just wanted to stay _here_, in this moment. _It was too much._ “Merlin,” he murmured again, desperation seeping into his voice.

It was a side of himself Arthur rarely let anyone see. He felt bare, his armour stripped away, revealing the most vulnerable part of his heart. It had been drilled into him from an early age that emotions blinded you, made you weak; around Merlin, his walls simply _crumbled_.

“I know, Arthur.” He could hear the smile in Merlin’s voice, could feel the endearing tug of Merlin’s lips as he pressed a tender kiss to his jaw.

Arthur thought his heart might explode.

“I _know_.”

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me out of the blue last week while I was trying to sleep! It started with that first line, clear and solid: “Arthur wasn’t sure of the exact moment he had fallen in love with Merlin.” It literally snowballed overnight and this was the end result! I’ve really enjoyed delving into Arthur’s character, imagining what he might have been thinking and feeling. I threw in a few extra events that weren’t exactly canon but I liked the image of.
> 
> AND FINALLY. A KISS. I’ve never written a Merthur kiss before, I hope you all liked it and it makes up for the lack of, ah, lip contact in the last fic!!
> 
> Thanks so so much for reading!! Feel free to leave kudos (it keeps me so motivated omg), and let me know down in the comments what you liked about it! :D xx


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